Although cannabis was a medicinal plant for thousands of years, its medical use was suppressed and banned throughout most of the 20th century. While banned in the US, major scientific breakthroughs were made in Israel, Spain, Italy and Brazil. These breakthroughs are propelling the natural plant compounds called cannabinoids into "the wonder drugs of the 21st century".

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Although cannabis was a medicinal plant for thousands of years, its medical use was suppressed and banned throughout most of the 20th century.  While banned in the US,  major scientific breakthroughs were made in Israel, Spain, Italy and Brazil.  These breakthroughs are propelling the natural plant compounds called cannabinoids into "the wonder drugs of the 21st century".

The Father of Medical Cannabis Research

The greatest cannabis researcher is unquestionably Raphael Mechoulam from Isreal. He discovered THC in 1964, the psycho-active component of cannabis. Mechoulam also discovered the first endogenous endo-cannabinoid in 1992, Anandamide, meaning bliss.

This is his book (see image ).
Image: Raphael Mechoulam

A Treasure Trove Waiting for Discovery

When asked why he devoted his entire lifetime studying the biochemistry of cannabis, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam said the following: "The three major illicit drugs derived from plants were then (at the beginning of my career), and still are, opium, coca and cannabis. Morphine had been isolated from opium early in the 19th century and structure elucidated in the 1920s by Robert Robinson. Cocaine was isolated from coca leaves in the middle of the 19th century and structure described by Richard Willstatter in the last decade of the 19th century. I believe that the cannabinoids represent a medicinal treasure trove which waits to be discovered."

Just Like the Opiate Receptor Story

In a story very similar to the discovery of opiate receptors in the brain, cannabinoid receptors have been discovered along with their endogenous cannabinoids, representing the largest neurotransmitter system in the brain and immune system.  This neurotransmitter system went undetected for decades because it involves an unheard of concept, retrograde transmission, or reversed flow of information from the post synapse to the pre-synapse.  

Image: Cannabis Sativa Leaf courtesy of Wikimedia commons

In the 1970s, Morphine was isolated from the poppy and found to bind to opiate receptors in the brain.  Scientists eventually discovered that people make their own opioids, called enkephalins and endorphins. Morphine simply hijacks the receptors for the brain's opioids.  It seemed likely that something similar was happening with THC and the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and the immune system.  The health implications of the endo-cannabinoid system are staggering.  Cannabinoids act as a bioregulatory mechanism for most life processes.

Medical Uses of Cannabinoids:

Relieves Chronic Pain
Reduces need for narcotics in chronic pain or Narcotics Addiction
Anti-Cancer (Breast, Colon, Pancreas, Brain-Glioma)
Relieves Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Phobias
Relieves Nausea and Vomiting associated with Chemotherapy
Improves Appetite in Wasting Syndromes
Relieves Migraine Headache
Relieves Glaucoma
Relieves Bladder incontinence
Used as Anti-convulsant
Used as Anti-depressant
Used as Atypical anti-psychotic
Used for Bi-Polar Syndrome
Used for Multiple Sclerosis, ALS

Timeline for Cannabinoids and Receptor System

2,000 BC  to 1,800 AD Medicinal Cannabis used in Ancient China, Egypt, India, ancient Greeks.

800 AD to 1,800 AD Medical Cannabis was used extensively in the medieval Islamic World.

1800-1900 Medical Cannabis commonly used entire world as primary pain reliever until the invention of aspirin.

Image: An advertisement for cannabis americana New York 1917.

1925, England bans cannabis with Dangerous Drugs Act, and non-medicinal cannabis
made illegal in Britain.

1927 Canada bans all forms of cannabis.

1937 Even though there are 28 cannabis pharmaceuticals on the American
market, Cannabis banned in US with federal law, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act.

1964 THC, tetra hydro cannabinol, the psycho-active component of cannabis,
isolated by Raphael Mechoulam at Weizmann Institute in Israel.

1970 Marijuana fully outlawed in US by Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

1975 Munson shows anti cancer effects of cannabis in Lewis Lung Tumors.

1980-2000 Cannabis research banned in US (de facto).

1985 FDA approves Marinol drug, a pure THC drug.

1992 First endo-cannabinoid isolated by Hanuš, Devane in Raphael Mechoulam's lab at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. This new substance is named Anandamide.

1990 endo-cannabinoid CB1 receptors cloned and found in brain. 

1993 endo-cannabinoid CB2 receptors cloned and found in the immune system.

1998 Di Marzo's in Naples Italy group found that cannabinoids (anandamide) inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation.

1999, Marinol (THC) was rescheduled from Schedule II to III of the Controlled Substances Act,

2000 Guzman's group in Spain found that cannabinoids inhibit the growth of C6 glioma cells.

2005 Sativex approved in Canada. Sativex is a whole cannabis plant extract, mouth spray approved for multiple sclerosis patients to alleviate neuropathic pain and muscle spasticity.

2006 Cannabindiol found useful as anti-psychotic drug São Paulo, Brasil.

2007 Sean D. McAllister - Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells.

2008 Acomplia, Rimonabant (also known as SR141716) first CB1 receptor blocker suspended from the UK market because of adverse effects of suicidality, depression. This agent blocks the endo-cannabidiol receptors.

2009 Two components of cannabis plant identified. THC which is psychoactive, and the non-psychoactive Cannabidiol "CBD" represents up to 40% of extracts of the medical cannabis plant. Cannabidiol relieves convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, nausea, and inhibits cancer cell growth.  Cannabidiol as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia. 

2009 - 10 million people arrested for marijuana since 1967.

Safety of Marijuana: There has never been a documented human fatality from marijuana. The respiratiry depression from opiates does not happen with cannabinoids.

Below image: Cannabidiol, the non-psychoactive main medicinal ingredient in Cannabis  courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Cannabidiol made by hemp plants.

Anandamide which is made by the human body.

A Cancer Cure in the Back Yard Garden

What happens when people realize they can grow plants in their own back yard yielding cancer medicine that works?  This is story of Rick Simpson, a man from Nova Scotia Canada who did exactly that.  He grew hemp in his garden,  extracted the hemp oil and rediscovered a medicine that cures cancer. 

Watch the entire 50 minute movie here .

Reform the Laws, Legalize Medicinal Use of Cannabis

In the US, 14 states that have passed laws legalizing medicinal cannabis. Join the movement to legalize the medicinal use of cannabis. Call or write your congressman today.

Warning and Disclaimer:

Marijuana is an illegal drug in many US states and other countries. It is illegal to grow or possess the marijuana plant, also known as the hemp plant.  Even when used as a prescribed medicine, marijuana use may result in arrest, fines or imprisonment.  Only use marijuana as a drug if it has been legally prescribed by a licensed physician in a state or country that has legalized the use of medical marijuana.

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Cannabinoids, Miracle Drug of the 21st Century by Jeffrey Dach MD

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Authors Bio:

Jeffrey Dach MD is a physician and author of three books, Natural Medicine 101, and Bioidentical Hormones 101, and Heart Book all available on Amazon, or as a free e-book on his web sites.

Dr. Dach is founder and chief medical officer of TrueMedMD, a clinic in Davie, Florida specializing in Bioidentical Hormones, natural thyroid, functional medicine and low level laser therapy.

Dr. Dach was originally trained and board certified as an Interventional and Diagnostic Radiologist, and worked in the hospital setting for 30 years in Broward County at the Memorial Hospital System. Because of declining visual acuity, Dr Dach retired from radiology and returned to clinical medicine about 8 years ago when he founded the TruMedMD Clinic offering bioidentical hormones and natural thyroid to the South Florida region. For more information about Dr Dach, you can find his entire CV posted on-line on his web site.